Wagon-box fastener.



- No. 889,320. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

c. B. MBGLBMER & w.'c. HARNED.

WAGON BOX FASTENER.

APPLICATION rum) SEPT.17,1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE E. MEGLEMER AND WILLIAM C. 'HARNED, OF BRIDGEPORT, NEBRASKA.

WAGON-BOX FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed. September 17, 1907. Serial No. 393,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLYDE E. MEGLE- MER and WILLIAM C. EARNED, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridge ort, in the county of Cheyenne and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Box Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in wagons of that type that are used for dumping and for hauling gravel and the like, and that are provided with a body which is constructed with a series of bottom boards adapted to be lifted at either end so as to dump the load through openings thus formed in the bottom.

The invention has for its object a simple, durable and efficient construction of device for fastening the wagon box together, and for holding in place the bottom of a wagon box of this character, and the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that we will hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a pers ective view of a wagon box provided with t e improvements of our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the fastening or tightening means.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the bolster of a wagon box or body, 2 the stakes or standards thereof, 3 the side boards, 4 the end gates, and 5 the bottom boards that extend longitudinally as is customary and that are provided at their ends with the usual hand holds, so that the boards may be lifted one after the other to provide an 0 ening through the bottom for dumping the oad.

Our invention consists, essentially, of a cross bar 6, one end of which is loosely supported in a loop 7 projecting down from the lower edge of one of the said boards 3, preferably at the middle thereof, said loop being preferably formed by bending a metallic strip into the required shape and riveting it or otherwise securing its ends to the side board. A plate 8 is secured to the opposite side board and on the outer face thereof and is provided at its lower end with a loop 8 to which one end of a chain or cable is secured. The free end of the chain or cable 9 carries a ring or is provided with an eye 10 and is designed to extend around the free end of the cross bar 6 and to be fastened by its ring or eye in the hook 1 1 of a latch plate 12. This late is mounted to move vertically in guide lbops 13 formed on or secured to a supporting plate I 14 attached to the outer side board in juxtaengaged by a detent or pawl 16 pivoted to the supporting plate 14. A pin 17 projects out from the supporting plate 1 1, preferably just above the nose of the detent 16.

In the practical use of our improved wagon box fastener, one end of the cross bar 6 is inserted in the loop 7, while the chain or cable 9 is passed underneath and around the opposite end of the cross bar, the ring or eye 10 of the chain or cable being secured in the hook 11. A rod or bar of any desired character is then placed over the pin 17 so as to serve as a prying device, the pin 17 serving as a fulcrum therefor, and the end of said pawl is then en aged in one of the teeth or notches 15 of the latch. plate and the latter is thus worked upwardly soas to securely bind the chain around the cross bar 6, and thereby hold the parts of the wagon box securely together.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wagon box of the character described, embodying side boards and a loose board bottom, one of said side boards being provided with a loop, a cross bar having one end resting in said 00p and extending across the bottom to the opposite side board, a plate secured to said last named side board, a chain or cable secured at one end to said plate, a hooked latch plate adapted to be connected to the other end of the chain and hold the same around the other end of -the cross bar, a support for said latch plate, and means for holding said latch plate securely in different adjusted positions in its support.

2. A wagon box of the character described, embodying side boards and a loose board bottom, one of said side boards being provided with a loop, a cross bar having one end resting in said loop and extending across the bottom to the opposite side board, a chain or cable secured at one end to said last named side board, a supporting plate secured to the said side board and provided with guide loops; a latch plate movable vertically in said loops and provided at its lower end with a hook adapted to engage the free end ofthe chain to secure it around the other end of the cross bar, said latch plate being provided in one edge with teeth, a detent secured to the supp1 rting plate and designed to engage the teet of the latch plate, and a pin projecting from the supporting plate.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signa- 15 tures in presence of two Witnesses.

CLYDE E. MEGLEMER. WILLIAM C. HARNED.

[L. s.] [L. s.] 

